Every engagement gets a written fee before any work starts. The figures here are anchor points for common situations — your actual fee depends on the scope we agree on together.
Tax returns and other defined-scope work are quoted as flat fees. A retainer is collected at signing (typically $500 for returns, more for larger engagements), with the balance invoiced at delivery. Hourly work is billed monthly. If the scope shifts midstream, I'll flag it before any additional fee is incurred.
Every return is quoted up front based on the actual work involved — not a per-form fee schedule. The brackets below describe the kinds of returns I see most often. Yours might land in between or outside any of these; we'll talk through it before any work begins.
| Bracket | Typically looks like | Fee from |
|---|---|---|
Straightforward |
W-2 wages, standard or itemized deductions, one state. Reduced rates for dependents and students. |
$695 |
Mixed income |
Wages plus self-employment or a single rental property; brokerage activity; one or two states. |
$1,295 |
Multi-source |
Business owner with Schedule C plus a small rental portfolio and a handful of K-1s. Multi-state likely. |
$2,750 |
High-complexity |
High-earning operators or investors with significant K-1 activity, real-estate dispositions or exchanges, alternative investments, and filings in three or more states. |
$5,500 |
| Bracket | Typically looks like | Fee from |
|---|---|---|
Closely-held LLC |
Two- to three-member operating LLC with modest activity and no recent transactions. |
$1,100 |
Operating partnership |
Active partnership or real-estate JV with an acquisition or refinance during the year. |
$1,795 |
Investment vehicle |
Real-estate syndication or investment partnership with multiple LPs, multi-state activity, and cost-segregation reporting. |
$4,250 |
Multi-entity / fund |
Tiered GP/LP structure, dozens of partners, multi-state filings, depreciation schedules across many properties. |
$18,500 |
Complex fund |
Open-ended fund structures, tax-exempt or foreign partners, layered ownership, or other situations requiring custom workpapers. |
Scoped per engagement |
| Bracket | Typically looks like | Fee from |
|---|---|---|
Owner-operator S-corp |
Single shareholder, one state, six-figure net income, reasonable-comp planning included. |
$1,150 |
Team-stage S-corp |
A small team on payroll, two or more state filings, fixed assets, and seven-figure revenue. |
$2,395 |
Multi-state operating S-corp |
Larger operating business with multi-state apportionment, inventory, or other layered positions. |
Scoped per engagement |
| Bracket | Typically looks like | Fee from |
|---|---|---|
Standalone C-corp |
Single-state operating C-corp with straightforward revenue, payroll, and depreciation. |
$1,395 |
Operating C-corp |
Multi-state filings, larger fixed-asset base, common book-to-tax differences. |
$2,995 |
Advanced positions |
Consolidated groups, international components, R&D credits, NOL planning, or other positions that need full memo support. |
Scoped per engagement |
For companies that need executive-level financial leadership without the full-time hire. Each tier reflects a different reporting cadence and depth of analysis. All retainers are month-to-month and can be paused or upgraded with 30 days' notice.
Right when you want monthly financial visibility and a sounding board, without standing up an internal finance function.
For teams making real cash, hiring, and pricing decisions where the wrong call costs real money.
When you need a CFO in the seat for fundraising, diligence, or formal board reporting.
Some engagements move too much to scope up front — one-off advisory calls, technical reviews, ongoing bookkeeping, and litigation-support work. Time is tracked in tenth-of-an-hour increments and invoiced monthly with a detailed activity log.
| Service | Scope | Rate |
|---|---|---|
Books & close |
Transaction coding, reconciliations, accruals, and monthly close prep so the books are ready when you need them. |
$99/hr |
Systems & implementation |
Standing up QuickBooks or Xero, chart-of-accounts design, app integrations, and automating the parts of the workflow that should not be manual. |
$249/hr |
Advisory & technical work |
Tax strategy, entity and equity-comp questions, on-demand calls, document and contract review, and technical memo drafting. |
$299/hr |
Forensic & litigation support |
Fraud examinations, internal investigations, fund tracing, economic-damages analysis, and expert-witness engagements. |
$395/hr |
I'm in the process of earning the Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) credential. Once it's in hand, I'll add independent valuation work — buy/sell transactions, gift and estate planning, and litigation support — to the service list. Reach out if you'd like to be notified when it's available.
Most engagements don't fit neatly into a row on a table. Send a short note about what you're working on and I'll come back with a clear, written quote.